Cups

Weekly Card The Queen of Cups

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Mystical Cat Tarot

We’re meeting another regal presence from the Court Cards for the first time: the Queen of Cups.

As a person, this is the one who’s first foot forward is the emotional one. S/he’s involved and connected with those around her, directly from the heart. S/he’s the one you can go to for nurturing and comfort, for someone to understand how you’re feeling.

Most people are a mix of energies, and if we’re one of the lucky healthy ones, we can draw on all the Court Card energies when appropriate. So, this week, when you look at who might be influential in your life, you don’t need to find someone who’s all emotion and creativity with no rationality. Just look to the individual who’s most able to get into the emotional flow and stay there with you.

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Rider Waite Smith Tarot

Elementally, we’ve got Queen as water in the watery suit, Cups. This is the level in the Court that’s most at home in the Cups environment. The image from the Mystical Cat Tarot has our Sea Queen in a flowing fountain. The Rider Waite Smith image has the Queen on a shell-topped throne at the edge of the sea, completely focused on her ornate Cup. This is a flowing, mutable, changeable, responsive energy. And it’s not to be underestimated: remember the long-term impact of water as waterfalls or rivers. Yes, the Queen of Cups will carve through stone, if need be.

Looking to your own character, where are you being asked to be emotionally connected this week? Do you have a creative project under way that needs the infusion of humanity that crosses time and space to reach its audience? How can you bring emotional response, especially with a feeling of nurturing, to as many areas of your life as possible this week?

Water your personal garden!

Weekly Card 10 of Cups

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Inner Child Tarot

Aah, the big rainbow of 10 of Cups . . . .

We know rainbows from the biblical promise of “never again”. We’ve learnt what we needed from the deluge and don’t need that experience again as a species. Within Tarot, we know it from a reference in XIV Temperance, which we haven’t yet looked at. Iris, the messenger of the gods, brings heaven to earth with her rainbow.

Here, we’ve got the rainbow in the arena of connectedness: our emotions, our relationships, our creativity. We’ve come through a cycle, successfully integrated the emotional experience, successfully built a solid relationship, successfully carried our creation to completion. And now there’s time for celebration and appreciation of the cycle that’s just past.

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Rider Waite Smith Tarot

Importantly, we become someone new at 10 of Cups. In the Rider Waite Smith image, we see gratitude, welcoming the future with open arms, dancing with others (like there’s no one watching). In the Inner Child image, we’ve got the 10th heart (corresponding to cups in this deck) on the forehead of the mermaid, native to this suit. She’s become the healer of the winged heart, able to touch the sky.

Along with preparing to jump off into our new cycle of connection, we’re charged to share what we’ve gained with others, to expand our community, to demonstrate our deepened capacity for connection.

So . . . where will you share this week? And where will you go next?

Weekly Card The Inspiring 4 of Cups

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Tarot of the New Vision

We’re back at the 4 of Cups. Take a look at the earlier post to refresh your memory or deepen your understanding.

And then put yourself inside the New Vision image.

Imagine that you’re sitting comfortably against a tree, looking out over a fairly barren landscape. You’ve got 3 emotional cups before you.   How do you respond so far?

That empty landscape allows our imagination and creativity to take over.

Is that where Pegasus is coming from?

And what would you do if you saw Pegasus coming at you? Would you still be sitting under the tree? Would you run toward or away from it?

Once you’d had whatever interaction with Pegasus you needed, would you go back to your tree?  Or would you choose to move on?

And would you take the 4th cup that’s being offered by the divine hand?

This week, consider where you look for inspiration. There’s always plenty out there. How receptive are you?  And where in your life will you apply it?

The Tarot of the New Vision is an interesting deck, isn’t it?, giving us a behind the scenes look at the images of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. There’s a further behind the scenes look in an exciting new book by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin, Secrets of the Waite Smith Tarot.

Weekly Card Celebrating the 3 of Cups

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Yoga Tarot

Wow! We’re getting the Tarot version of 2×4 between the eyes (anybody else have that dent there from calls to pay attention?). It’s been less than a month since we last saw the 3 of Cups.

So what does it mean when we repeatedly see the same message in the cards?

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Gilded Tarot

One possibility is that we’re being shown places where we’re stuck in a rut. I have to say, 3 of Cups isn’t such a bad rut to be in.   Of course, we can get caught in celebrating heart connections (the dancing women in the Gilded Tarot) when we have practical things to do. Or we can be overly emotional (those overflowing cups in the Haindl image) when what’s called for are rational decisions. Or we’re putting our creative ventures on public display (Yoga Tarot) right when there’s a big media storm to blow our projects away.

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The Haindl Tarot

Another is that we’re in a long-term process. We’re not in the habit of being highly sociable or expressive and creative or of letting our emotions flow. It can take time to un-make an habitual hermit or logical Spock or repressed artist.

And a third is that, although we’ve got 3 of Cups in our repertoire, we’re focusing elsewhere. It’s the “hey, over here!” attention call.

How many times have you put aside social connections because you’ve just got too much to do? Or decided that now is not the time to celebrate; your problems are way too big and pressing? Or shelved creativity in favour of the sure thing to please the boss? And we all know that emotional stifling is the order of almost any day in the life . . . .

Here the message is, despite the apparent strong demands in other directions, the useful action or useful focus is to choose creativity, to choose time with your heartfelt friendships, to choose joy.

So which is it for you: long-term process, an unrecognized rut, or a repeated call to re-focus? And, since life is a many-layered thing (why am I thinking “cake”?), it could be all the above.

Celebrate the loves in your life!

Weekly Card 3 of Cups

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Crystal Tarot

What a beautiful card for a spring day (at least, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere – those of you in the South can lift a cup to spring days yet to come)!

3 of Cups is a social, cheerful card saying, Celebrate! And find your best friends to celebrate with you.

You’ll remember, from Tarot . . . It’s Easier Than You Think, that 3s are expression and expansion, and Cups are emotions, relationships and creativity.

So how can you express your emotions? How can you expand your relationships? Your creativity?

Looking to the Crystal Tarot image, we’ve got the three Cups (or Chalices) enclosing an egg, symbol of fertility and creativity. This one is many layered and includes a design that makes me think of the beautiful pysanky from the Ukrainian Easter tradition. Floating above the stable triangle is the fluttering butterfly of transformation. We’ve no shortage of blooming flowers here, with lots of heart-based green and turquoise from the higher heart – that place where expression comes from the heart.

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Rider Waite Smith Tarot

For Tarot 2: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, let’s introduce 3 of Cups experiences to a couple of Court Cards. Start with the Knight of Cups. We’ve got the airy Knight stirring up the watery Cups in a situation of the same element. Remember, he keeps moving. As long as things are expansive, is he likely to stay? When we look at the stability of the 3, how is he likely to react? What happens when we’ve got too much water and it’s all being stirred up?

Bring the practical Page of Pentacles in. How do earth and water get along? Pretty neutral, aren’t they? But how long is this Page likely to stick around if the party just keeps going, particularly if it’s celebration for celebration’s sake? The Page may not have much impact on the situation, but the situation may not have much impact on the Page either.

If you were a Court Card, who would you be? And which Courts might best represent some of your friends? Now, which ones do you want to invite to the party?

Are you running out of patience and ready to be out creating and socializing?  Have at it!

Celebrate!

 




You can sign up for Tarot 2: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore with the Berkeley County Adult Ed Program.  The fun happens Friday, 1st May, from 6 to 8pm.

Weekly Card Riding with the Knight of Cups

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Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot

We’ve had a pretty thorough look at the Knight of Cups before (as one of his aliases: Prince of Cups). Since he follows his heart in and out of our lives, let’s take a look at a few more of his possible faces.

One of my favourites is his appearance as a white glamour puss on his proud black mount, from the Baroque Bohemian Cat deck. This Knight obviously loves the finer things in life. When he rides into town, it means you’d better put on the dog to have a chance with him. It’s nights at the theatre and five-star dining. The minute you want to run through the sprinkler in your undies or crash on the sofa, he’ll be back on his horse in search of his next peak experience.

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Brian Williams’ Renaissance Tarot

Brian Williams’ Knight of Cups from his Renaissance Tarot seems more accessible, perhaps even more interested in being of service. He’s awfully placid atop his feisty and substantial steed. This Knight promises growth and healing (his green garments and the corner reference to the Archangel Raphael) if we drink from the cup he offers.   But his horse has all the ferocity and bite of the transient and truncated sexual encounters (Scorpio’s sting is in there, after all – the astrological correspondence for Knight of Cups) that the Knight of Cups is famous for.

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Aleister Crowley Frieda Harris Thoth Tarot

Finally, we have the Aleister Crowley- Frieda Harris Thoth Tarot (another Prince of Cups). Frankly, a whole lot more scary Scorpio and less hopeful romantic. His sights are still set firm on his desires (the serpent rising from the cup), but he wears and rides the eagle aspect of Scorpio (the “evolved” scorpion) and carries a lotus blossom.   This Prince (Knight) may still tear through with romance, but he’s putting the transformative aspect right out front.

So, what kind of emotional mindset do you need to get on the horse – or eagle – with any of these Knights, even for a short ride? Can you visit the elite artistic heights with the Baroque Bohemian Cat? Are you seduced by the gentle healing promise of Williams’ Renaissance Knight, despite his high-spirited horse? Are you brave enough to join Crowley’s Knight for a transformative flight?

What about the transient romances in your own life? Have you been the “victim” of a Knight of Cups or two . . . or three or . . . ? Were you able to let go after the encounter to let it be healing? (Or did you, like many of us!, kick and scream in resistance to the ending?) Are you still lost in romantic fantasies of bygone desires and wishes?

Or have you been the Knight of Cups, highly creative and innovative, intimate with whomever you fancy? Commitment? Of course you’re committed: to love, to creativity, to beauty and truth. Are you guilty about your Knightly self or have you learnt transformative acceptance?

Be in touch with your desires this week and make a commitment to their source. Spontaneity and creativity are required in your ride . . . the scenery will change, after all.  Above all . . .

 Commit to the ride!

 




When the ride gets a little wild or confusing, a tarot session with a professional can help you find your course.  And here‘s where you can find one.

Weekly Card 2 of Cups Makes a Mess

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The Alice Tarot

Oh, this tea party is so wonderfully 2 of Cups!

We’ve got two individuals who aren’t necessarily an immediate match sharing a portion of their individual journeys. The table between them is loaded with all sorts of good stuff as well as the mess from used up good stuff. And it’s all happening out in the open.

We’ve seen the 2 of Cups before. You’ll remember from Tarot . . . It’s Easier Than You Think that we’re in the land of choice and balance as applied to emotions, relationships and creativity. It’s the intimate connection card.

And intimate connections are messy. Sometimes we get so caught up in the creative flow that we can’t possibly stop to clean up the mess without sacrificing flow. Sometimes we find out that we’ve become intimate with a total crazy person (okay, so not everybody with straw in their hair wearing tie dye is crazy – hello, from days in the garden).

We don’t always know what we’re choosing until we get into the relationship. Look at the outside of the house. Beautiful and impressive, isn’t it? Worth the exploration.

Some relationships are there to share and enjoy the good stuff. Some last a little longer. And if we find that the madness and mess outweigh the good stuff we can make the same choice Alice did when she was fed up with the tea party: walk away.

But while we’re in the adventure . . . .

Enjoy the gifts of creative connection!

 

 

If you’d like to use the beautiful images of the tarot to help you make the next connection in your life, you know where to find me.  You can also get in touch for individual and group lessons.

The next Berkeley County Adult Ed classes are on 20th March and 1st May.  Call 304-267-3585 for info and to sign up.

Weekly Card 4 of Cups

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Herbal Tarot

 

4 of Cups gets a bad rap in many tarot traditions; it’s seen as the card of boredom, discontent, missed opportunities. Since creativity and emotions, the watery stuff of our lives, like to flow, the stable 4 can be seen as a dam interfering with movement. And, yes, 4 of Cups can have that side to it.

But stability and manifestation in emotions, relationships and creativity (from Tarot . . . It’s Easier Than You Think) has its positive side, too. Water likes to pool as well as flow, so Cups as water (from Tarot 2 . . . We’re Not in Kansas Anymore) don’t need movement to be enjoyable.

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Rider Waite Smith Tarot

It’s interesting that only 3 of the cups in the Herbal and Rider Waite Smith illustrations have come to earth. The other cup is being offered by a Divine hand. The stability and manifestation of the 4 is a gift we need to accept (the receptivity of Cups). Is that solely an external opportunity that we can miss? Or is inner contemplation and stability also a factor?

In creativity, it’s especially exciting when a project takes form. Four of Cups is that point: manifestation. In relationships, we’re not always looking for something new; most of us count on stable relationships. And what happens when we reach a point of stability in our emotions? Those rare moments are the aim of many forms of meditation.

The end of the spectrum where the 4 of Cups crosses into the negative is when we reach stagnation, when it’s an over-used energy. If our creativity gets stuck in habits, if we aren’t receptive to the 4th cup of Divine inspiration, we’re in the downside of the card. If our emotional boundaries or relationships never allow anything to shift and grow, if we aren’t receptive to the hand of the Divine in our lives, we’re putting security above all else. And that’s where we run into isolation and boredom.

We’re meant to have stability and change in our lives. As long as we’re building on our emotional, creative and relationship structures, we’re keeping the balance that allows the 4 of Cups to be a beautiful part of our lives. It’s okay to be contented and emotionally fulfilled sometimes. 4 of Cups is one of those times.

Delight in contentment and creative manifestation!

 

 

If you’d like to use the beautiful images of the tarot to help you take the next leap in your life, you know where to find me.  You can also get in touch for individual and group lessons.

 

Weekly Card King of Cups Under Alias

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Tarot of the Spirit

What’s the deal with King of Cups? This is the second time we’ve met him and he’s still not showing up under his most traditional name. This time, it’s as the Father of Water from Joyce and Pamela Eakin’s Tarot of the Spirit.

That deck uses Father, Mother, Brother and Sister instead of King, Queen, Knight and Page for the Court Cards.   Makes them more like family than removed royalty, doesn’t it? And it uses the elements associated with each suit, rather than the “traditional” suits. Earth corresponds to Pentacles, Air to Swords, Fire to Wands and Water to Cups. So Father of Water is King of Cups.

What if your Dad were someone who couldn’t get enough of the sea? What if he loved to play in the ocean? Imagine a father who would actually stay out in a stormy sea. And, as if that weren’t enough, he’d ride a horse in the midst of all that active sea. And it’s a white horse. That turns around to talk to him.

Other than Wilbur and Mr Ed, who is that guy?

Your Tarot . . . It’s Easier Than You Think crib sheet describes the King energy as constant and robust. Because he’s the King of Cups, he’s that way about emotions, relationships and creativity.

This is a Father who dives right into the thick of emotions. Even the scary ones don’t stop him. So this Dad didn’t even leave when you had temper tantrums. He’s the master of his animal side, but it’s a give and take relationship, so he listens to that side of himself. He isn’t going to flip out with you when you’re in the midst of your temper fits.

He knows how to stick it out when creative projects are up against unsympathetic critics. He’s there when relationships hit the rocks. Can you say “unconditional love”?

What would you be like if you’d been raised by a father like that? How do you interact with people like that in your life now?   Are you ever like that yourself?

Love and create unconditionally and constantly this week!

 

 

If you’re looking to learn more about Tarot, I’ll be teaching level 2, Tarot 2 . . . We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, on Friday, 12th December, through the Berkeley County Adult Ed program.  Call 304-267-3585 for more information and to register.

And you know where to find me for phone, email, or in-person tarot counseling.

Weekly Card Ace of Cups Revisited

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Haindl Tarot

 

It hasn’t been that long since the new emotions of Ace of Cups were before us. And now the beginning energy, the seed energy, of relationships and creativity is back for another visit, this time with the beautiful image from the Haindl Tarot. So far you’ve seen the mundane Housewives Tarot depiction and the mystical Gilded Tarot image. The Haindl is another mystically directed deck, somewhat older than the recent Marchetti Gilded Tarot (the Housewives Tarot is also very recent).

Now that we’ve come down to earth from the excitement at all the goodies Ace of Cups offers (totally up to us to take them!), let’s look at the image before us.

This is a very alive cup, energetic, glistening, swirling. It’s hard to imagine actually picking it up, the way we would a real container. The energy inside the cup seems to permeate the cup itself and jet into its surroundings.

Haindl’s cup is pure, precious, royal – all the attributes of gold. The golden sun comes to mind. This is not creative, relative, emotive energy spreading rays into darkness. This is bright and active daytime energy. And it offers cleansing and elevation, stripping away all that isn’t purely us, keeping (or putting) us on our Divine path. Anything that allows us to connect and create from our true selves is certainly a gift without price.

Then there’s that single drop falling into the cup. The red within is like the activating sperm falling into the receptive – and already highly active! – cup. There’s no meek waiting here; this conception is one with plenty of mutual passion in the receptivity. Perhaps that heavenly drop is the already fertile egg, complete in itself, ready for the vessel that will allow it to grow. The red within the drop also reminds me of the egg yolk, ready to be consumed by whatever is ready to grow within the egg. In all cases, we have everything we need for life to begin for new emotional connections and creativity.

Haindl’s system of directional correspondence is just one of several.   He associates the suit of Cups with European traditions, via the Grail legend. Within his global structure, that puts Cups in the north. You can decide, with each deck, whether or not you “feel” the correspondences and want to use them. If they don’t make sense to you, there’s nothing that says you have to attend to them. I’m comfortable changing with the various decks I use, when there’s a tradition in place, and have a system that makes sense to me when there’s nothing specifically connected to the deck.

This week, then, is your chance to allow new emotions (even the less comfortable ones!) to surface, finding the ways they contribute to your unique life journey. Attend to the possibilities for new creativity and make space to begin new relationships.

Accept the seed for connection!

 

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